Africans in America, 4 reasons why you shouldn’t eat Tilapia

Being discussed on InformAfrica.com is 4 reasons why Africans in America shouldn’t eat Tilapia fish. This four reasons on why not to eat tilapia fish also apply to global Africans in the United Kingdom and other diaspora nations where farm-raised tilapia is a common fish in their diet.

The National Fisheries Institute reported that tilapia, a hardy native of African lakes and streams, which has been bred in captivity world wide for the past ten years, has the least amount of the heart-healthy benefits of eating fish. (Photo courtesy: Everybody Eats News)

In the US, each time I go to the international supermarket, I often see some (many) Africans constantly buying big fat Tilapia fish, and to them – they feel like they’re getting a good bargain for their money. They have no clue what this big fat farm-raised Tilapias are fed, its potentially unhealthy nutrition, and side effects to human health.

Despite tons of free information available online on the dangers of eating farm-raised tilapia among other farm-raised fisheries to stay clear off; I still see many Africans in America at various international supermarkets going for farm-raised tilapia – mainly because it’s very cheap.

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Tilapia is a popularly produced and consumed fish in America, and I’ve noticed few US government agencies often promoting it as “healthy”. The fish is also inexpensive. You can buy Tilapia for as low as $1.00 USD per pound in some states, while other states you’ll find them for $1.99 per pound or thereabout. The Tilapia fish is known in the food business as “aquatic chicken” because it breeds easily and tastes bland, and at times even tastes like mud depending on the environment it was raised in.

Below are four major reasons why Africans in America should stay clear off eating farm-raised Tilapia fish:

Farm-raised Tilapia Contains Cancer Causing Pollutants
Farm-raised fish may have at least 10 times the cancer causing pollutants compared to the wild variety. This can most likely be attributed to the feeds used on farm-raised fish. Chicken feces is one of the main ingredients in farm fish feed. Not only that, the transfer of pig and duck waste to fish farms is also a very common practice. Looking at the rate of cancer deaths in the US, especially that of Africans – InformAfrica advises fellow Africans in diaspora to avoid cancer-causing foods at all cost, including farm-raised fish, even if inexpensive.

Low Levels of Nutrients in Farm-raised Tilapia
The benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids (healthy for the brain) is one of the major reasons many people eat fish. However, farm raised tilapia fish contains very little omega-3 fatty acids compared to wild-caught fish. Commercially produced fish such as tilapia also have lower proteins and other nutrients too. Importantly, the high-levels of omega-6 fatty acids found in farm-raised tilapia is more than enough reason to avoid the fish – completely.

Farm-raised Tilapia Contains Toxic Chemicals
Dibutylin levels (a toxic chemical used in PVC plastics) is said to be 6 times higher in some farm raised fishes compared to the wild ones from the Atlantic sea. Dibutylin is toxic and can impair immune system function while also contributing to inflammation. Dibutylin could also be the reason why Americans have a rise in asthma, obesity, allergies and other metabolic disorders in the recent years. Another toxic chemical found in farm-raised fish is Dioxin. Previous studies suggest that doxin levels are 11 times higher in farm-raised salmon compared to wild-caught salmon. Dioxin is a very toxic chemical that can contribute to cancer and other complications.

Farm-raised Fish Causes Inflammation
Wake Forest researchers once reported that the combination of both omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids found in tilapia fish could be a potentially dangerous food source for some patients with heart disease, arthritis, asthma and other allergic and auto-immune diseases that are particularly vulnerable to an ‘exaggerated inflammatory response.’ Inflammation is known to cause damage to blood vessels, the heart, lung and joint tissues, skin, and the digestive tract. So any farm-raised fish with high levels of omega-6 fatty acids potentially causes inflammation. InformAfrica strongly advises fellow Africans in diaspora to avoid eating commercially produced (farm-raised) fish. Wild-caught fish from the sea is a much more healthier choice.

Africans living in America should endeavor to share this health awareness information with their friends and family members who are fond of eating cheap, fat, farm-raised tilapia fish. Join us in informing Africans by spreading awareness.

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